Hello!

I've seen a lot of interesting and informative threads in the Travel section and feel like sharing my experience in Ghana as a first timer.

Everything I say would be based on my personal experience and/or findings.
Feel free to drop suggestions, questions and I'll respond as soon as I can.

TRANSPORTATION
I traveled in the month of December last year and I had to first leave for Lagos as I do not reside there, so cost of transportation differs depending on your location.

There are a number of transport companies that ply the Lagos-Accra route daily, such as Chisco, ABC, Efex etc. I boarded GUO in Iyana Ipaja however as suggested by my host and paid the sum of N19, 500 using a Virgin Passport. Some people traveled with their National ID or other means of identification.

We were each given a pack of rice and stew with beef and left the park at approximately 8am. At an Immigration check point the driver would simply take our Passports for stamping and we never spent more than a couple of minutes at each stop.

At the Seme border, some passenger luggage were searched and the Officers there asked what your purpose for traveling to Ghana was, nothing overboard. We were asked to submit Yellow Fever card here, while those who had provided theirs, they made no fuss about those who didn't.

The ride from Benin Republic to Ghana was great as the roads were in good condition. At 3pm Ghanaian time we were at Aflao border (this is the Ghanaian border). Note: Nigeria is an hour ahead of us, so it was 4pm in Nigeria.

At 6pm we arrived Accra. Altogether, that's 10 hours. I've had longer and even rougher trips in Nigeria so I didn't feel too tired or stressed. You can however book a flight and arrive at the Kotoka International Airport in no time, which costs about N45, 000 if you can't bear sitting for that long.

I got a 60 day stamp, the stamps are quite plenty

We're one hour ahead of Ghana

Front seat booked !!!

Pls continue ....or are you voting?

come OP, you nor go come finish this story? I Don sit down here... tales by moonlight � haha.

Oluwasaeon:
We're one hour ahead of Ghana

Thanks for that, you're right.

LANGUAGE
I used to watch a lot of Ghanaian movies (I still do) and was somewhat accustomed to their use of English but I found myself trying to understand what they were trying to say most of the time when I got here.

Below are some common words and how they are pronounced:

Cup - Cap
Cap - Kep
Cut - Cat
Brush - Brash
Us - Ass
Work - Werk (as in kolewerk)
Church - Cherch
Station - Stayshin
Television - Televishen
Hungry - Hangry (sounds like angry)
Angry - Bored

When someone is angry, he says "I'm bored"

Some common local words, I think it's Twi (pronounced Chwi):

Thank you - Medase
Please - Mepachor
Kwasia - Foolish idiot
How are you - Eti sein
3tw3 - Female s*x organ - pronounced as echwe

Note: the moment you open your mouth, they can tell what African country you come from. More on that later.

I'm bored bawo

following bro

Following

Following. This will be interesting.

Come and finish what you started oo and do make you come back Buhari Don rigged the election

Bia OP,don't let me get bored with you oo,better come end cantinue

op you don sleep?

CURRENCY
The Ghanaian Cedi comes in 6 notes: 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. There is pesewas which is their coins: 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 cedi coin respectively.

I understand there was a time you could fit 1, 000,000gh comfortably in your wallet but things changed, I'm not sure of the story behind that. Some people call the 'old currency' and 'new currency' interchangeably so don't be scared when somebody tells you a bottle of soft drink is 500, 000gh... It's simply 5gh.

Using 1gh = N75, here's the exchange rate:
50gh = N3, 750
20gh = N1, 500
10gh = N750
5gh = N375

Note how there are the same figures on the Cedi, they are known as the Big 6. They fought for the Independence of Ghana.

I'll be telling you what your Cedi can buy for you later on.

Missali:
CURRENCY
The Ghanaian Cedi comes in 6 notes: 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. There is pesewas which is their coins: 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 cedi coin respectively.

I understand there was a time you could fit 1, 000,000gh comfortably in your wallet but things changed, I'm not sure of the story behind that. Some people call the 'old currency' and 'new currency' interchangeably so don't be scared when somebody tells you a bottle of soft drink is 500, 000gh... It's simply 5gh.

Using 75gh = N1, here's the exchange rate:
50gh = N3, 750
20gh = N1, 500
10gh = N750
5gh = N375

Note how there are the same figures on the Cedi, they are known as the Big 6. They fought for the Independence of Ghana.

I'll be telling you what your Cedi can buy for you later on.

500,000 cedis in old currency is 50 ghc not 5ghc

Emmanuelstm:

500,000 cedis in old currency is 50 ghc not 5ghc

A Ghanaian told me this, perhaps she made a mistake.

Missali:


A Ghanaian told me this, perhaps she made a mistake.

Madam, 500,000 old cedis is new Ghc50 and 50,000 old cedis is new Ghc50.

Missali:


A Ghanaian told me this, perhaps she made a mistake.

Madam, 500,000 old cedis is new Ghc50 and 50,000 old cedis is new Ghc5.

Missali:
CURRENCY

Using 75gh = N1, here's the exchange rate:
50gh = N3, 750
20gh = N1, 500
10gh = N750
5gh = N375

@ misali , I think it should 1ghc= 75naira not what you typed up there !!

You are using 75 naira to exchange 1ghc but you typed 75ghc exchanged for 1naira.

come and kwantinu o

I know it not right to say dis hear but i ave no any other choice but to say it, plz fellow nl help for a job am not asking money from you but looking for what to do, i will be very greatfull if anybody in dis forum can help, am an O.N.D holder graudated with upper credit from school of environmental studies...09050210400 plz help me any were in port harcourt or any part of the country i can work there..

gentlebullet:

Madam, 500,000 old cedis is new Ghc50 and 50,000 old cedis is new Ghc5.

Oga kindly open your thread and sensitize the general public on Ghanaian currency.

DonroxyII:
@ misali , I think it should 1ghc= 75naira not what you typed up there !!

You are using 75 naira to exxchange 1ghc but you typed 75ghc exchanged for 1naira.

That was a mistake on my part. Thanks

ELECTRICITY
If I no talk about light, wetin I gain?

Power supply here is 24 hours most of the time. As long as you refill your prepaid meter, you can be sure of electricity.

I can't explain the beauty of returning home and not having to worry if there will be light or not. The places in Nigeria I can use in comparison to the steady power supply are Bonny Island in Rivers State and some parts of Abuja.

To put things in perspective, I have never had a flat phone battery in 3 months.

Missali:
Hello!

I've seen a lot of interesting and informative threads in the Travel section and feel like sharing my experience in Ghana as a first timer.

Everything I say would be based on my personal experience and/or findings.
Feel free to drop suggestions, questions and I'll respond as soon as I can.

TRANSPORTATION
I traveled in the month of December last year and I had to first leave for Lagos as I do not reside there, so cost of transportation differs depending on your location.

There are a number of transport companies that ply the Lagos-Accra route daily, such as Chisco, ABC, Efex etc. I boarded GUO in Iyana Ipaja however as suggested by my host and paid the sum of N19, 500 using a Virgin Passport. Some people traveled with their National ID or other means of identification.

We were each given a pack of rice and stew with beef and left the park at approximately 8am. At an Immigration check point the driver would simply take our Passports for stamping and we never spent more than a couple of minutes at each stop.

At the Seme border, some passenger luggage were searched and the Officers there asked what your purpose for traveling to Ghana was, nothing overboard. We were asked to submit Yellow Fever card here, while those who had provided theirs, they made no fuss about those who didn't.

The ride from Benin Republic to Ghana was great as the roads were in good condition. At 3pm Ghanaian time we were at Aflao border (this is the Ghanaian border). Note: Nigeria is an hour ahead of us, so it was 4pm in Nigeria.

At 6pm we arrived Accra. Altogether, that's 10 hours. I've had longer and even rougher trips in Nigeria so I didn't feel too tired or stressed. You can however book a flight and arrive at the Kotoka International Airport in no time, which costs about N45, 000 if you can't bear sitting for that long.

I got a 60 day stamp, the stamps are quite plenty

u got a 60 days stamp,which means u can stay in Ghana for 60days without issues with immigration right?

harlee:
u got a 60 days stamp,which means u can stay in Ghana for 60days without issues with immigration right?

That's right, after that you need to visit Immigration to get another stamp if you want to extend your stay.

Missali:


That's right, after that you need to visit Immigration to get another stamp if you want to extend your stay.

Please continue especially where you said you would explain the purchasing power of cedis that what can I buy with 3,5,10,20gh cedis

Missali:


That's right, after that you need to visit Immigration to get another stamp if you want to extend your stay.

hello madam,do I need the yellow fever card to travel to GH

Lovely thread

harlee:
hello madam,do I need the yellow fever card to travel to GH

As a statement of fact, YOU DO!

it's better ti travel with your passport AND yellow card

Ghana is a beautiful country

Danirose007:
Lovely thread

indeed
Ghana is a lovely country I go to again and again
The only minus is that it is TOO EXPENSIVE